F -T o ols F -T o ols

PD PD

!
W

W
O

O
N

N
Y

Y
U

U
B

B
to

to
k

k
lic

lic
ww

ww
om

om
C

C
w c w c
.p
d f- x e. .p
d f- x e.
chang chang

Table 2-2. Controlling Limit State for Deff for HSS Materials
ASTM Material Fy, ksi Fu , ksi Fy /Fu Limit State Deff

Base metal
Fy 
A53 Grade B 35 60 0.583 30.2  t
yielding  FEXX 

Base metal
Fy 
Round 42 58 0.724 30.2  t
yielding  FEXX 
Grade B
Base metal
F 
Rectangular 46 58 0.793 22.6  u  t
rupture  FEXX 
A500
Base metal
Fy 
Round 46 62 0.742 30.2  t
yielding  FEXX 
Grade C
Base metal
F 
Rectangular 50 62 0.806 22.6  u  t
rupture  FEXX 

Table 2-3. HSS Minimum Thickness, tmin, to Develop FEXX Strength, in.

A500 Grade B, A500 Grade B, A500 Grade C, A500 Grade C,

Weld Size, in. A53 Grade B
Round Rectangular Round Rectangular

m 0.199 0.166 0.160 0.151 0.150

) 0.265 0.221 0.214 0.202 0.200
X 0.331 0.276 0.267 0.252 0.250
V 0.397 0.331 0.320 0.302 0.300
k 0.464 0.386 0.374 0.353 0.350
' 0.530 0.442 0.427 0.403 0.400
W 0.596 0.497 0.481 0.453 0.450

limit state for Deff for various HSS materials, and it can be 2.4 EFFECTIVE WELD LENGTH
seen that round products are controlled by base metal yield-
Due to the variation in flexural stiffness of the wall across
ing, while square and rectangular products are controlled by
the width of a rectangular HSS, a force transmitted through
base metal rupture.
a weld is often not uniformly distributed. This can be ac-
By setting Deff equal to a particular weld size, the mini-
counted for in design using an effective length approach.
mum HSS wall thickness, tmin, to develop the full strength
This reduced effective length applies both to the weld and to
of the weld can be determined. The matching filler metal
the force in the connected element.
for the various HSS grades has a strength level of 70 ksi.
For elements transverse to an HSS face, the load is highest
Table 2-3 gives the minimum HSS wall thickness to develop
at the ends closest to the sidewalls of the HSS and decays to
the 70-ksi-strength filler metal for fillet weld sizes typically
the smallest value at the center of the element. The net effect
used with HSS. This concept is based on one shear plane
is that the weld may not be fully effective and could unzip
per weld. If there are two welds for one plate (e.g., a single-
with a crack starting at the ends. The AISC Specification ac-
plate shear connection), each weld is associated with half the
counts for this by specifying an effective weld length, Le, to
thickness of the plate.
be used in calculating the available weld strength.
In addition to the limit states associated with the weld,
AISC Specification
&RVBUJPO
,
JT
VTFE
GPS
XFMET
UP

limit states associated with the HSS wall and the connecting
transverse plates, and it can be seen that the total effec-
element must be considered. Example 2.2 shows a calcula-
UJWF
XFME
MFOHUI
PG
&RVBUJPO
,
JT
FRVBM
UP
UXJDF
GPS

tion for the effective weld size.
two welds on each side of a plate) the effective width of a

AISC DESIGN GUIDE 24 / HOLLOW STRUCTURAL SECTION CONNECTIONS / 9